F1 News: Red Bull Chief Optimistic About Ford Partnership - "Bringing More And More To The Table"

Could the partnership with Ford help Red Bull Dominate the grid in 2026? The start looks promising already.

Red Bull has partnered with Ford through Red Bull Powertrains this year to jointly develop the 2026 Red Bull F1 car's engine. The 2026 regulations require all F1 cars to be powered by a hybrid engine running on internal combustion and electric power.

Ford possesses a tremendous amount of expertise in electric motors. The American Automaker has been working aggressively to convert its internal combustion output to electric vehicles in order to be the world's second-largest EV manufacturer by 2024. 

Additionally, it will help develop the electric part of the powertrain for the 2026 F1 car whereas Red Bull Powertrains will focus on the internal combustion part. 

With the partnership already churning out some "interesting developments", Red Bull Chief Christian Horner speaks more on the collaboration. He told Autosport.com: 

"

I think that where they bring a lot of interesting knowledge is the investment they're making in their electrification and cell technology. Combustion is niche to F1. But I really think on the electrical side we're meeting with the Ford guys on a weekly basis, and seeing some really interesting developments.

"I think as our relationship develops from a technology perspective, they're bringing more and more to the table, which is really quite interesting. So it's been a really positive interaction."

Horner was clear that he did not want to sell a stake of Red Bull Powertrains but, was looking for an expert to partner with. Prior to the deal with Ford, it seemed as if Porsche would partner with Red Bull but the deal was cancelled because the German brand wanted half of the shares. Speaking further about the partnership with Ford and mocking Porsche indirectly, Horner said:

“They're not trying to tell us how to run our business or, they're not involved from a shareholding perspective. And it's been a very, very conducive relationship so far.”

While the Red Bull domination continues this season, thanks to the RB19 F1 car, it would be intriguing to see what comes out of a partnership with one of the world's most renowned motoring brands like Ford.